Safety systems are often employed with power equipment such as table saws, miter saws, band saws, jointers, shapers, circular saws and other woodworking machinery, to minimize the risk of injury when using the equipment. Probably the most common safety feature is a guard that physically blocks an operator from making contact with dangerous components of machinery, such as belts, shafts or blades. In many cases, guards effectively reduce the risk of injury, however, there are many instances where the nature of the operations to be performed precludes using a guard that completely blocks access to hazardous machine parts.
The present invention discloses safety systems for use on power equipment. The disclosed safety systems include a replaceable brake mechanism adapted to engage a blade or other cutting tool to protect the user against serious injury if a dangerous, or triggering, condition occurs. The brake mechanism includes a one or more cartridges that may be selectively removed and replaced from the power equipment, such as after use and/or to adapt the brake mechanism for a particular use.